Frame means for retaining implement driven shaft parallel to tractor power take-off shaft



Oct. 16, 1956 R. H. WITT 2,766,835

FRAME MEANS FOR RETAINING IMPLEMENT DRIVEN SHAFT PARALLEL TO TRACTOR POWER TAKE-OFF SHAFT Filed NOV. 24. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 16, 1956 R H WITT 2,756,835

FRAME MEANS FOR RETAININC I'MPLEMENT DRIVEN SHAFT PARALLEL TO TRACTOR POWER TAKE-OFF' SHAFT Filed NOV. 24, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS e 2,766,835 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 a element and means operative to adjustably position the driven element, so that pivoted movement of the imple- 2766835 ment relative to the tractor does not cause misalignment FRAME ivmANs ron sentiremo miam/ENT f the driving connection- DRIVEN SHAFT PARALLEL T0 TRACTOR 5 The specific nature of this invention, as well as other PGWER TAKE-GFF SHAFT `objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent to Y Vthose skilled in the art from the following detailed de- Rogest H'eigtttogdogchozg gasrlle scription, taken in conjunction with the attached sheets mcghm 'al corporaon or Deraware of drawings on which, by way of preferred example only,

l0 is illustrated one embodiment of this invention. Application November 24, 1952, Serial No. 322,232 On the drawings;

t, Figure 1 is a plan view of an implement mounting 4 Claims. Cl. 18o-53 l frame of the present invention employed to dispose an t implement, shown in dotted outline, upon a tractor, also The present invention relates to a frame construction Showhihdottod outline;

for a tractor-mounted implement, and more Partieiilarly Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the implement to a tractor-mounted frame for disposing a powerliftal'ile frame of Figure l, further illustrating the relationship implement upon a tractor in such a manner that driving of tho tramo, tho implement, and the tractor;

ofthe implement from the pojver'tale'ol is not impaired Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of upon varying the relative positions of the tractor and the tho frame shown h1 Figures 1 aud 2J taken along tho implement. fiplane 3 3 of Figure l; and

In the monntmg of PoWer'tale-oll di'iven'imPlements Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged elevational view of the ipoli ahtraetaor oi' similar Prme ntlhovatieizsgb lteimplemefnt fram1 in igureds 1-3, illustrating the saine in on Y as een eneonn ere in e a pair o vertica y a juste positions. proper driving relationship between the tractor and the AS Shown ou the drawings: nlllemerlljtl during Vetrtiel ladllinisttlenrgf th'eheirriptlgleuililtellrence nulrnerlal 10 refers gxlneralllly to a rlactor of s pro em 1s par en sry 0 ei's e we own ma e aving a rear e ousing joining pelmentlrs mounted npoi a tialtlor liavingt lvreltiof' ralr tracor wheels 12 aid sulrnmounted by a prliver-'lli'lta e roe arm as a por on o e eonven n t a e roc arm 13 pivote to t e tractor, as at e Irl iS neteessary ttl? ptrovitde adeqiate nploti for tllieemil power-llftaible 1rlock arm is actuated by the conventional P einen Pon e rae or an o a )Us e imP t tractor y rau -c system. vertically, While at the same time preventing the misalign' An implement frame, indicated generally at 15, is disment of the power means for driving the implement from posed upou the traotor through a pair of rearwardly eX. the power-takeoff. tending support beams 16 fixedly connected to the rear The ulreent dljven'tiori Providest in irjiipiflfeent ifrrllnee axle lailousing 11 by cllmpb bolts against rotatonal or moim g or Y posing a Ponfera e'o n pivot movement. T e eams are aperture to rement ripon the tractor for veri-leal movement- The trae' ceive therethrough a pivot bolt 18 serving tolpivotally tor drivestthe implement through a drive shaft Coupled dispose a pivot arm 19 upon each beam, the pivot arms to the tractor poWer'tale-ol and to a driven Shaft on the 40 19 being rigidly secured as their free rear ends to a 1mplement- Thed driviel Shaft of e implfment is laterally extending main frame structural element 20. Pivotallv dispose ,on e lmp ement ame an is con' The main frame element 20 (Figure 1) extends neeted to tallest-rector tliroiigh an articulated linkage: so laterally across the rear of the tractor beyond one of that Pivoted movementof the implement frame effects the tractor wheels 12, the element 20 being deflected only relative vertical movement of the driven shaft With .5 forwardly generally parallel to the tractor, as at 21, to respect t0 the traCtOL In thlS manner, the driven shaft t Y. terminate in a lateral implement-supporting portion 22.

of the implement is Cohstrained to move in a Patlltiii YThe frame structural element 20 carries a forwardly ex- WhiCh the drlVen Shaft 1S always Parallel to the driving tending actuating arm 23 rigidly secured thereto and Shaft and the mlsallgnment of the driving Connection be* having its forward end underlying the rock arm 13 and tween the shafts never exceeds the practical safe-opera-- connected therethrough hy suitable flexible or Variable tion limitations thereofr length means, as by a chain 24. The actuating arm 23 lt iS, therefore, an important obleet of the Present in' if is strengthened by a diagonally extending brace 25.

Vention to Provide an implement mounting frame for ad- It will be appreciated that actuation of the rock arm instabil' disposing an implement Pon e tractor in 13 will elevate and lower the forwardend of the actuatmOnnted relationship, So that an eiteetive driving con' 55 ing arm 23 to pivot the frame 15 about the pivot point neClOn betWeen the tractor and the implement is main'- 18 to elevate the frame 20. Elevation and lowering of ainedi v the frame will correspondingly lower and elevate the Another important object is the Provision of an imple' implement 26 carried bythe frame. The greater por- Inent mounting means including a driven shaft on the tion of the implements weight is forwardly of the frame implement drivingly eonneetable to a driving shaft on 60 22 thus rocking the frame 20 counterclockwise about the tractor and constrained for movement to a plurality, A the pivot holt 13 and maintaining the tension ou the of vertically adjusted positions at which the driven shaft chain 24 as showt1 in Figure 3 t is alWaYs Parallel to the driving shaft The implement 26 is driven by meansV of a power- A further important Object is to provide an implement take-oft element 27 located centrally of the rear axle mounting frame adapted for mounting upon a tractor fOr housing 11, at the lower portions thereof and driven by pivoted movement about ahorizontal axis and implement the tractor angina The power output element 27 is driving means Carried by the frame and Connected to the drivingly connected, as by an extension shaft 28 having traetor for movement to a plurality of Parallel Positions terminal universal joints 29, to a driven shaft 30 journaled during pivoted implement movementby a shaft housing 31 carried by the implement upon a Still another important obleet of the Present invention laterally extending pivot rod 32 projecting between a is the provision of an implement driving connectionA pair of rearwardly extending support plates 33 rigidly joining a driven implement element to a driving tractor joined to the main frame element 20.

The* shaft'housing 31 is also" supportedA by alink 40 joined rigidly to the housing andV extending forwardly to Voverlie the main frame element 2G. The free upper end of thelink 49 is pivotally connected, as at 41', to anadditional link 42V pivotally connected to the rear kaxle housing 11, as through mounting bracket 43 on pin 44.l

It will be appreciated that pivoting movement of the frame 20 about the laterally aligned pivot points` 18 would ordinarily cause severe misalignment of the generally parallel output and input` shafts 27 and 3i) which lie in a single'vertical plane. nected to the frame 15 through the rigid frame 20, such shaftl misalignment would cause serious driving failure in the universal bearings 29 of the extension shaft 23.

It will be noteduthat the length of the top link 42 is substantially the same as the distance between the lateral pivot axes 1SY and 32 and that the vertical distance between the pivot point 44, connecting the link 42 to the bracket 43, and the pivotpoint 18 Vis substantially'the samey asl theY distance between the pivot point 41 and the rear axis 32 aboutY whichthe sheave 34 is pivotal. The pivot arm and frame connection between the axes 18 and 32', the tractor rear axle housing 11, the top link 42, and the arm 40 thus define a substantially parallel quadric linkage, and the parallelism existing within the linkage will connect the shaft housing 31 and the shaft 30 in parallelism with the shaft 39. Thus, the rnisalignment of the bearings 29 remains substantially constantV despite vertical pivoted movement of the frame 20, as best shown in Figure 4, and no actual crimping of the bearings 29 can occur. Further, the vertical position of the powertake-otfshaft27 may be shifted without disturbing the parallelism between the shafts. In many instances a trailer is pulled by the tractor in connectionwith they implement. The bitching of the trailer may be accomplished by using Vthe trailing draft members 45 pivotally connected at their forward ends to the axle housing 11 as4 at 46. A pair ofk angularly downwardly disposed stayV itsu forward end to a clevis 51 mounted to the under-` side of axle housing 11 by conventional bolt means (not shown). draw barV (not shown)A and endsuin a conventional clevis arrangement (not shown). Lateral movement ofV the tongue 50 is. prevented by a conventional securing of the Vtongue 50` to the draw bar, which is not shown in the drawings.

Itwill, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a, wide rangei without departing from the principles of. this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

'1. In combination, a tractor having a rear axle.housing, a power output shaftV located centrally of` said axle housing, a power-liftable rock arm on said tractor, rearwardly extending mounting arms iixedly secured against rotational er` pivotal movement to said Arear axle housing,` pivot arms carried by saidtmounting arms for. .pivoted movement about a. lateral frame axis rearwardly Yof said axle, a laterally extending frame elementurigidly carried by said pivot arms for movement about said lateralaxis,

If the shaft 30 were rigidly, con-V 'Ihe tongue 50 extends rearwardly beyond theVV means interconnecting said rock arm and said frame element to move said frame element, means on said frame element dening a lateral pivot` axis, a shaft housing carried by said frame element for movement about said pivot axis, a power input shaft journaled by said shaft housing in longitudinal parallelism with said power output shaft, a driving connection between said shafts in- Y .Y cluding universal joints on said shafts, respectively, a first generally vertically disposed link having one end rigidly connected to said' shaft housing, and a second generally longitudinally extending link joining the free end of said first link to said rear axle housing, said rst link being of a length substantially equalV tothe spacing of said lateral frame axis from the forward end of said second link, and said second link being of a length Vsub-V stantially equal to that from said lateral frame axis to said lateral pivot axis, whereby said links, in cooperation with said rear axle housing and said frame element, define a parallel quadric linkage eiective to retain said input shaft generally parallel to saidV output shaft at all Vvertically adjusted positions of said frame element.

2. AnY implement frame mounting for a tractor having a rear axle housing, a power output shaft located centrally of said axle housing, and a power-liftable rock arm, comprising rearwardly extending mountingY arms fxedly secured against rotational or pivotal movement to said rear axle housing, pivot arms carried by said mounting arms for pivoted movement'about a lateralv axis rearwardly of said axle, a laterally extending frame element carried by said pivot arms'for movement about said lateral axis, means interconnecting said rock arm and said frame element to move said frame element, a shaft housing pivotally carried by said frame element for movement relative thereto about a lateral axis, a power input shafty journaled by said shaft housing in longitudinal parallelism with said power output shaft, a driving connection between said shafts, a'iirst generally vertically disposed link having one end rigidly connected to Vsaid shaft housing, and a second generally longitudinally extending link joining the free end of said rst link to said rear axle housing in vertically spaced relation Vto said power output shaft, said rst link being of a length substantially equal to the spacing of said power output shaft from the forward end of said second link, and said second link being of va length substantially equal to thaty of said Vdriving connection betweenV said shafts. whereby said links are effective to retain said input shaft generally parallel to said output shaft'at all vertically adjusted positionsof saidY frame element.

3. A tractor having a rearwardly extending powerV u with the shaft housing and projectingV upwardly above the level of the transverse Vframe member, Ya link extending forwardly from the upper end of the control memberY to the tractor, a thirdtransverse, horizontal pivot con-A necting the upper end of the control rnembenwith the rear end of the link; a fourth transverse, horizontal` pivot connecting the-forward endof the link withV the and means Vfor vertically swingingthe frame 'means about the first pivot to raise aud'lower saidV frame' member."

the four pivots lyingat the corners of substantially a V.parallelogram-tyne 'linkage'l formedv bvV the above-named elements connecting the pivots vr/hereby. uponl raising orVV lowering the. frame rnemben` the shaft housing'is.r rotated a second transverse, horitractor.

about the second pivot to maintain the input shaft parallel with the output shaft.

4. A tractor as claimed in claim 3, in which the link extends upwardly behind and above the transverse frame member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Porter et a1. Jan. 3, 1950 Arps Aug. 1, 1950 Lesniak Mar. 13, 1951 Jackson Jan. 8, 1952 Bausch et al Mar. 11, 1952 Von Ruden Nov. 18, 1952 Sawyer et al. Oct. 19, 1954 Simpson Nov. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Canada Jan. 9, 1951 

